Shifters: A Deep Secret
by PounceGirl
Summary: Based on Maximum Ride. Six kids Pounce 14, Ty 15, Lily 16, Moonbeam 11, Thorn & Mitch 8 live on their own and can morph into different animals. Mostly Pounces POV. Lots of action, adventure, and even a little romance. :D At least check it out! R&R!
1. Chapter 1: A Blazing Start

**_Intro_**

**_Six kids with extraordinary powers ― they can shapeshift. Pounce, the black panther. Ty, the russet wolf. Lily and Moonbeam, capuchin monkey and lionhead rabbit. And Mitch and Thorn, brown bears. Thought up by some seriously insane scientists, these six "Shifters" were created for study purposes; if one were to have two different instincts ― human and animal ― which would over-power the other? Now living on their own, Pounce and her friends must struggle to survive with their abilities, confused and lost as they are. They're strong, but are they strong enough..?_**

**Please read and review! I know it's not really about Max and the Flock, but please don't flame me for it! I really wanted to write a novel, and I needed somewhere to test it out and see how people enjoy it. **

**So…enjoy!**

**Oh! And if you have any (nice or constructive) comments, please give them to me! I would like all the help I can get with this story! ;D**

**Finally, I'll just shut up now and let you read the actual plot… **

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Chapter One: A Blazing Start

The heavy mist filled the air, thick shadows of blue and grey forming over the deep puddles in the uneven ground. Little streams of leaves and mud trickled through the soggy earth, reminders of the downpour that had only just recently ceased its restless bucketing. The sky, dark with clouds, still rumbled quietly, as if on edge to start up the storm once more.

There were no animals; they had all fled at the first signs of rain. And obviously this land was too far away from civilization for anyone to visit, especially during a hurricane. The forest seemed completely empty.

Key word ― seemed.

I panted hard as I ran through the trees, my breath coming out in short, shallow gasps. My heart pounded against my chest, as if trying to break out of my body, desperate to be free. My thighs burned like someone had lit them on fire, and tears streamed down my face as the cold wind stung my skin. My long, black hair blew out behind me, snagging more and more twigs in its grasp the farther I ran.

I was sprinting for my life.

During the storm, a tree had been stuck by lightning, causing it and it's neighbours to catch fire. Unfortunately for me, I had been only about two meters away, so now, with one arm I propelled myself forward, while the other swung limply at my side, twisted and useless. I wasn't sure if it was broken or not, but either way, it was pretty painful.

As I rounded another clump of trees, I screamed; in agony or frustration, I didn't know. It might have been both.

The fire, roaring away like a lion, was right in front of me. In my haste and confusion, I must have gotten turned around and run _towards_ the fire.

I came to an angry halt, furious with myself. I was never this stupid! It must have been the fact that I was exhausted, in excruciating pain, and that this dang fog was so thick that I couldn't even see properly.

The fire was growing nearer by the second, and I knew I had to do something, and fast. But what? How could I outrun it? I had pretty much used up all of my energy already, and my arm was so sore now that I was on the verge of ripping it off just to get rid of the pain. There was one thing that I could do…

No.

I didn't think that it was possible, not while I was this worn-out. Impossible. But maybe…

I had to at least try, right?

Collecting myself, I spun on my heal and broke into a dead sprint, racing away as fast as I could through the trees. The fire blazed behind me, right on my heals.

I ran faster and faster, pushing myself to, and past my limit, and yet still the flames stayed with me. Now was the time to do it, before I collapsed and burned to ashes.

I snarled and leapt into the air, flexing my leg muscles as I pushed off. When I was about three feet in the air, I Shifted.

My heart sputtered and halted altogether as my body began to transform.

My back and outstretched limbs became stockier, my new "outer" skin growing around my ripped jeans and tank-top. My nails grew longer, becoming razor-sharp claws. I quivered slightly as a long, black tail began to sprout just above my behind, and I instantly become more aware of everything as my enhanced sight, smell, and hearing kicked in. Finally, as my hands became giant paws, a layer of black, silky fur grew over me, warming me a little.

I had gone from fourteen-year-old girl to black panther in less than three seconds.

In the next instant I was speeding up, running faster than ever before. My crippled arm ― or, paw, I should say ― was still too injured to use, so I limped along on three legs. However handicapped I may have been, this was still way faster than running on two feet.

I sailed away from the fire, my tail working extra hard to help me maintain my balance.

I growled a laugh as I thought about the fire, now far behind me, and I slowed a little to figure out where I was.

The fog was still blindingly heavy, and it almost like swimming on your feet. I peered ahead of me, deciding which way to turn next.

That's when I fell.

The cliff seemed to come out of nowhere; one moment I was jogging along the hard earth, and the next thing I knew I was tumbling through the air at an alarming speed.

I slowly counted to five in my head, and still I hit nothing. I must have been falling a_ long_ way. I could almost make out the sound of running water ―

Cold.

Agony.

And then…nothing.

The last conscious thought I had was of icy, painful water, and then all was dark.

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**So what do you think? R&R and tell me! What should happen? Do you like it so far? Any grammar or spelling issuses...? I want to get all the help I can with this story! **

**Please review! (but I don't take very well to flaming...) ;D**

**-PounceGirl out!**


	2. Chapter 2: Strangers

_**Intro**_

_**Six kids with extraordinary powers ― they can shapeshift. Pounce, the black panther. Ty, the russet wolf. Lily and Moonbeam, capuchin monkey and lionhead rabbit. And Mitch and Thorn, brown bears. Thought up by some seriously insane scientists, these "Shifters" were created for study purposes; if one were to have two different instincts ― human and animal ― which would over-power the other? Now living on their own, Pounce and her friends must struggle to survive with their abilities, confused and lost as they are. They're strong, but are they strong enough..?**_

**Hey, peoples! What's up? I hope you liked the first chappie! I know I left you all with a major cliffy, but that's just a great way to get you to keep reading. XD **

**Anyway, I know I didn't give you too much information in that chapter, but it really was just like a prologue to me, although I put it up as a chapter. (It was originally supposed to be half a page, but I got kinda carried away…)**

**Oh! One more thing, just to make your read even more before actually getting to the story! Thank you to ****CullenWithWings**** for being my first (and only) reviewer so far! s you!**

**Now, it's on with the plot!! **

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Chapter Two

"What should we do?"

"Is she gonna wake up?"

"She isn't dead, is she?"

"Hush, peace. Let her sleep, she'll be fine."

The frantic voices were hushed as I struggled to remain remotely conscious. My head spun, and I hurt all over. Attempting to sit, I flexed my arm to push myself up. Bad idea. I gasped as pain shot through my limbs and my eyes shot open. As I twisted my head to the side to see why I was in so much pain I gasped again, this time in surprise.

A very angelic, small face peered down at me with an anxious expression. Her bright blue eyes were wide, and her brows were furrowed with worry. Her long, wavy blond hair fell past her cheeks to tickle my chin. Her pink lips parted, and she spoke with a clear, high voice.

"Hi. Wow, we thought you'd never wake up. Don't move your arm, it's broken. I think you may have sprained your foot, too, but I'm no doctor. Lily's been taking real good care of you, though. Thorn said that you were gonna die, but I told him no, and here you are, alive and awake!"

She moved back a little, her lips widening into a smile as I struggled to take in what she was saying. My senses were on alert now that I knew I wasn't alone. I found her voice loud as it drummed in my ears like a gun, and I idly took note on this ― I guess being on your own in silence for a little more than a seven months, you got used to the peaceful quiet.

Every instinct I had was screaming at me to run, to get away from this motor-mouth child. Very unfortunately for me, I was so sore that I could barely twitch without wincing, let along run from…where I was to…wherever I would go.

Instead, I settled for a good-old fashion growl. It rose from my chest, rumbling the kid sitting on top of my. She squealed, and jumped off.

When she was no longer holding me down, I found that the pain was almost bearable. Slowly, using my good arm, I pushed myself into a sitting position and quickly took in my surroundings.

I was in a small, grassy meadow, complete with colourful trees and flowers. I could just make out a tall cliff at one end of the clearing, a dull, dark figure compared to the bright, sunny clearing.

Wait. Sun? What happened to the fog, and the storm?

My thoughts came back to me in a tumble as I recalled what I could of the night ― maybe week ― before. Where was I? How was I not dead this very second? Who was that little blond kid ――

That's when I remembered that I wasn't alone.

I glanced around the clearing, ready to use my acute sight to find her. But it wasn't necessary.

A low hiss slipped through my lips as I saw not one, but four children at the other end of the meadow. They watched me with different expressions, ranging from curiosity to excitement. They stood in a rough line, trying their best not to look intimidating.

Not that I would have any reason to fear them. They had no idea what I could do.

At that thought I smiled to myself, and the dark female on the end ― she looked to be the oldest, but definitely not the tallest ― stepped forward as if she had been invited. I let another growl slide through my teeth, and she held her hands out in front of me, supposedly showing me that she meant no harm.

As she came closer, I took her in with my sharp eyes.

Though she was only about four foot six, I guessed that she was 16 or 17. Her skin was a dark brown, a like chocolaty colour. Her short, spiked hair stuck out in every direction, tipped with gold on the ends. Her small nose contrasted with her big, round eyes, but somehow it managed to look very nice. Her face gave nothing away to make me wary, as it was lit with a warm smile.

But I kept on guard, just in case.

When she was ten feet from me, she stopped.

"Greetings," she called. Sheesh, you'd think we were on Star-Trek or something. "We won't hurt you."

I snorted, but she continued.

"My name is Lily, and you are safe with us." Gesturing to the row of kids behind her, she introduced the others.

"This is Mitch, and his brother Thorn. You've already met Moonbeam."

The angel chatterbox gave a small wave from where she stood beside two identical brown-haired little boys.

The brown girl ― Lily ― turned back to me. "We promise, we mean you no harm." She looked at me expectantly, waiting for my response.

I thought for a moment, my senses yelling at full force, _Move, now! Get out of there!_ I had to get away now, before they got any closer. How could I trust them, anyway? I didn't usually trust anyone, at times not even myself. I readied myself to spring.

_But what do I have to lose?_ The small yet insistent voice had a point; I had lost so much already. What more could be taken away from me but my life? And even if it did come down to a battle, I wouldn't go without a fight.

Taking a deep breath, I returned Lily's kind gaze with a fierce look.

"Alright, I'll bite. I'm Pounce. Where are we, and what do you want from me?"

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**Okay, well, I hope you like it so far! Please R&R! Sorry I left you with another cliff, but it keeps the readers interested. No flaming please, just wonderful comments or polite criticism.**

**Oh! As an afterthought, here are the characters and their animals. You haven't met them all yet, but you will…soon enough…*grins menacingly and rubs hands together***

**Pounce ― 14 ― Black Panther**

**Ty ― 15 ― Russet/Brown Wolf**

**Lily ― 16 ― Capuchin Monkey**

**Moonbeam (Moon) ― 11 ― Beige Lionhead Rabbit**

**Mitch ― 8 ― Dark Brown Bear **

**Thorn ― 8 ― Sandy Brown Bear**

**See you later!**

**-PounceGirl**


	3. Chapter 3: Info and Irony

**Hey peeps! S'up? Oh, you're waiting for the next chapter of my story, are you? Well, you're all in luck, because here it is! Voila! I spent all of my homework time on this, so you'd better appreciate it. *growls unnecessarily yet meaningfully* **

**Okay! Well, here we go! **

**Don't forget to R&R s'il vous plait! **

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Chapter Three

Moonbeam's eyes went wide, and she seemed to choke. She stared at me in shock, then slowly shook her head back and forth.

"No, you don't understand," she started, but was interrupted by one of the boys.

I decided that the guys must have been twins, for they looked identical to the human eye. Of course, since I wasn't _completely_ human, I could see that the one that was speaking had a slightly darker tint to his hair, and if I really looked hard, I could tell that his eyes were a deeper shade of brown than his brother's.

"_What do you want from me?_" he mimicked my voice unsuccessfully. "We're not pirates, lady, or aliens. We're not evil. We're just like you."

He smiled at me, and I felt my icy gaze soften a little from his sincerity. These kids were just all so darn cute!

Then his words sank in, and I stared at him again, my glare shifting back into place.

"What do you mean, 'just like you'?" I asked slowly, trying to keep my breath at a normal pace. "Who's just like me?"

The kid ― I still wasn't sure which one he was ― snorted. "Us, obviously. We ―" Moonbeam ran to him and clapped his mouth shut with a loud _whoop_. He continued to mumble uselessly into her hand, as if he didn't notice its presence.

I turned back to Lily, forcing a laugh. "What's he going on about? Of course you're just like me. We're all human here, ain't we?" I smiled weakly at her, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

"I think we should tell her," a small voice said, and I saw the other twin staring pleadingly at the oldest girl.

She glanced at him swiftly, then into the forest near me.

"Tell me what?" I asked stiffly. I was starting to get irritated with this crazy group of kids. My instincts were telling me to run, but I could still feel a throbbing in my broken arm whenever I moved it, so that was out of the question.

Besides, now they really had my attention. What were they hiding from me? And who were these wild children?

"Nothin', we ain't talking 'bout nothing." The dark haired boy mumbled, and glared at his brother.

I was about to demand them to tell me what the heck was going on, when suddenly the hair on the back of my neck stood up. My palms broke into cold sweat, and I hissed softly when I heard something ― running, it sounded like ― in the distance.

I itched to change into my other form and fight whatever was speeding towards us, but evidently, with all these humans around, it wasn't possible. I just wanted to be ready, to be as safe as I felt when I was a black panther instead of a normal five foot six girl. Actually, I wasn't sure how I had even morphed out of it. Hadn't I been…when I fell…what had happened?

My thoughts came at me so fast that it was like whip-lash. I saw clear, vivid images of everything that had gone wrong; the storm; the fire; the fall…

The pain and the cold.

_What had happened,_ I wondered even more urgently than before. Why wasn't I dead? It had felt like I had fallen for a long time, so what was I doing in the middle of a clearing, standing around with a bunch of other kids?

_No time to worry about that now_, I thought dryly as the pounding of ― feet? ― drew closer with every breath. It sounded like it was moving extremely fast, faster than I could run at my top speed, and I was pretty fast. I resisted the urge to whistle in admiration, focusing on not turning into the animal that I so badly wanted to be at that moment.

Anything was better than being human, right?

The intruder was so close now that I could hear the trees rustling as they pushed past them. They were headed straight towards us, I calculated, using my ultra-senses. They were going to intercept me from the others in a straight line, right in front of me. A growl built in my throat just as a huge, brown blur burst through the forest, halting in front of me, and I shook with adrenaline as I realized what it was.

A dog.

A freaking _dog_ was about to attack me, end my life, all because I was too proud to turn into a catin front of mere humans.

Oh, the irony.

Really though, it was more of a wolf than a dog. It stood about a meter tall, ground to shoulder, and it was built very muscularly. It's shaggy brown fur was tinted with red, highlighted in the sun, and it's dark blue eyes bore into me. But still, no more than a dog to me.

As I shifted into a crouch, ready for a fight even in my human form, I noticed that, although the dog's position was aggressive, it was also defensive. It looked sorta like he was…protecting the other four kids. From me.

Okay, I admit, I was a little bit relived that at least someone was aware of what a threat I could be. I mean, those guys that had tried to help me, Lily and Moonbeam and them, they weren't attentive enough to see the danger I could be to them.

At this point in thought, I remembered that they would probably all be scared stiff of this…well, this abnormally large dog. I glanced over at them, ready to see terror, and gaped at the picture.

The twins, both Thorn and Mitch, were grinning from ear to ear, while Moonbeam nodded her blond head at me encouragingly. Lily was the only one who seemed aware of the monstrous beast looming over me, but she didn't have the scared look on her face that I had imagined. Instead, she glowered at the canine, hands on her hips, eyebrows pulled in. I almost seemed like she was scolding it.

Just then the thing growled, and I released a snarl in return. Ready to pounce, it crouched forward, and just as I resolved to change into my animal exterior, Lily spoke.

"It's all right," she said, placing a hand on the wolf's shoulder. "She's no danger to us. We're fine ― no harm done."

"Yeah, right," I heard one twin mumble to the other, then raise his voice for everyone to hear. "She knows now, we should just tell her. She'll figure it out anyway."

"Yeah!" Moonbeam added with a little too much enthusiasm for her companions to handle. They all shot her a look, even the dog.

For a long moment Lily and the beast held gazes. Then, ever so slightly it nodded, and turned back to me.

Instantly, it began to shake, and my eyes widened as I watched. I blinked rapidly a couple times to make sure of what I was seeing, trying to believe it. By my fifth blink, there was no longer a wolf in front of me. In fact, there was no sign of it anywhere. Instead, a boy with brownish-red hair stared at me with intent, deep blue eyes, his clothes torn, most likely from being ripped on tree branches.

"Wha―" I breathed, still not even close to accepting it. "How­…who…what…?" I was stuttering like a complete idiot, but I didn't care. What I had just seen, what had just happened…I gawked at the four kids, who stood innocently and patiently a few yards away from me, and then at the new stranger standing only a few feet away, a determined look on his face.

Finally, the internal battle I was fighting inside myself paused as Lily spoke to me, knowing in her eyes.

"As you can see now," she said, casting a glare to the back of Wolf-Boy's head. "We are just like you."

Moonbeam and the twins suddenly began to shake, and in a matter of seconds, there was no sign of the chatter-box and her buddies. There were, however, two very large brown bears and a tiny little rabbit standing in their exact spots.

I gasped, unable to contain my emotions, and Lily smiled at me.

"We are special," she said, casting her hand around the clearing, gesturing to her friends.

"We are Shifters."

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**Okay, there you go! I hope you like it so far. I was trying to think of a really neat way to introduce Ty and then BAM! It just came to me. Haha; Wolf-Boy! Haha—sigh.**

**So now you've met all of the main characters! Don't worry, I'll be describing them in more detail as the story progresses, so stay tuned!**

**Oh! And if you find any spelling errors, please tell me! I was typing fast (well, as fast as I can type) so I may have missed a few. As you might be able to tell, I'm not the best speller. *laughs weakly***


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